The John Mercurio-Andrew Kato musical Academy was awarded the Best Musical Prize during the 2010 Daegu International Musical Festival in South Korea. American actor Corey Boardman also took the honor for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his work in that production.

Corey Boardman greets fans after a performance of Academy at The Daegu International Musical Festival in Daegu, South Korea ￼
Photo by Jeff Larkin

Based on Goethe's Faust, Academy bowed as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2009. NYMF and Daegu embarked on a multi-year partnership that exchanges works annually between the U.S. and South Korea as part of the respective festivals. Academy, which was staged by original NYMF director John Carrafa, received the Best Musical honor that also includes a $2,500 cash prize. NYMF executive director and producer Isaac Robert Hurwitz accepted the award.

Boardman, who has been seen Off-Broadway in Altar Boyz, Next to Normal and the recent reading of Carrie, received the Best Supporting Actor honor for his work as Amory in Academy.

In 2009 Academy took the NYMF Awards for Excellence in the categories of Best Music and Best Ensemble.

Press notes for Academy read: "At St. Edward's Academy, two seniors make a harmless bet on whether they can influence an unsuspecting freshman to break a few rules to succeed. But when the transaction goes recklessly out of control, the boys become entangled in a fight for their own academic and personal survival. Inspired by Goethe's Faust, Academy is a pop chamber musical about boys learning to become men — and remaining true to themselves."

NYMF and Daegu launched its partnership with the Korean musical My Scary Girl as part of the 2009 NYMF. The 2010 NYMF will host the Korean musical Special Letter, featuring book and lyrics by In Seon Park and music by Chang Wook Ma. The work is described as "a rambunctious comedy about a soldier whose pen pal is not who she seem."